Hackamore bridle



Sept. 3, 1957 NEWMAN I 2,804,740

- HACKAMORE BRIDLE T Filed Dec. 4, 1953 {2 0 2/ INVENTOR MAYNARD H. NEWMAN ATTORNEYS HACKAMGRE BRIDLE Maynard H. Newman, Reno, Nev.

Application December 4, 1953, Serial No. 396,129

2 Claims. (c1. 54-6) This invention relates to a bitless bridle structure of the type generally identifiedas a hackamore bn'dle. More specifically the invention is directed to a bitless bridle structureof .an improved construction which will enable more effective control and guiding of horses.

To those familiar with various available bridle structures it is readily recognized that there are definite advantages in the use of bitless bridles or hackamores for controlling the horses movements. The common feature of these bridles is the elimination 'of the conventional bit or curb extending through the horses mouth. The elimination of this mouth bit is particularly desirable in the case of horses having tender mouthsor those having dispositions prone to fight the bit or to slobber. Further it has been found that young and fractious animals may be more easily controlled by the rider if it is possible to apply a downward and backward pressure on the nose of the horse than by a similar pressure on the jaw as occurs in the case of ordinary bit bridles.

Among the types of bitless bridles heretofore devised, those considered to be the most elfective are of the leverage type, that is, where a rearward pull on the reins produces a tightening between a nose ba ld and a chin engaging curb by leverage action. These bn'dles, however, in prior constructions have the common fault that the pressures are not applied to the horses nose at the most efiective points. As a rule bridles of this type apply downward pressure too low on the nose structure of the horse, and an upward curbing pressure too high on the underside of the jaw section. Thus these prior proposals for hackamore bridles fail to provide a bridle structure wherein the proper pressures will invariably be applied at the most efiective points for animal control.

A pressure applied by the bridle on the nose, specifically on the cartilaginous structures below the nose bone bridge tends to shut off the horses wind and generally results in the animal fighting the bit, making it unnecessarily hard to control him. Likewise, where the curb pressure is applied too high on the jaw bone structure, an unreasonably large curbingpressure must be applied to control the horse, which in many instances will produce injury to the flesh, followed by chapping and sores. Thus the best control can be most effectively obtained by pressures of a nose band positioned high on the bridge of the animals nose and well above the soft, cartilaginous structure, in combination with a curb positioned to press into the chin groove which is'back of the lower lip.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide an improved hackamore bridle construction of the leverage type which is simple and sturdy with a minimum number of parts and capable of being easily and inexpensively manufactured.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a bridle structure of the hackamore type which is humane in its operation for controlling the horses movements and which applies the controlling pressures at the most effective points.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a bridl head.

2,804,740 Patented Sept. 3, 1957 of the type described wherein the pivot means for the rein levers are positively prevented from dislodgment from operative position by pitching or tossing of the horses head, and wherein the curb operated by means of the rein levers is at all times properly positioned to apply pressure at the most effective point beneath the horses chin.

With the foregoing and other objectsin view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the bridle structure of this invention shown positioned on a horses head.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the bridle structure without the headstall connected thereto.

Figure 3 is a top elevation showing the bridle construction with the headstall omitted, and

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 2.

The bridle consists in general of a hacka more headstall 1 composed of cheek starps 2, a brow band 3, a crownpiece 4 and a throatlatch 5. It will be readily appreciated that the structure of the headstall 1 as illustrated in Figure l of the drawing is merely illustrative of a suitable form which may be employed in mounting the hackamore bridle structure of this invention properly on the horses extend upwardly across the brow band 3 and throatlatch 5 and around the upper portion of the horses head behind the ears, to form the crownpiece 4. Likewise the brow band 3 crosses the cheek straps to extend downwardly beneath the throat to form the throatlatch 5. A suitable connecting buckle 6 is provided at the intersection of the straps of the headstall to permit ready adjustment of the headstall to accommodate the particular dimensions of the horses head.

The headstall 1 is adjustably connected by means of the cheek straps 2 to eyes 7 suitably secured to each side of a nose band 8 which is adapted when properly positioned on the horses head to encircle the nose of the horse. The proper positioning of the nose band 8 relative to the horses head may be obtained by adjusting the length of the cheek straps 2 cooperating with the eyes 7 to raise or lower the nose band relative to the horses nose.

At the opposite sides of the nose band 8 there are provided pivotal mountings 9 for the rein levers 10, which levers each have a long arm 11 with a rein connecting ring 12 at the outer end thereof and a short arm 13 provided with an aperture 14 at its outer end. The rein levers 10 are of the bell crank type and so mounted at 9 on the nose band 8 that a rearward pull on the reins 15 connected to the rings 12 will cause the short arms 13 to move upwardly, raising the chin engaging curb which is operatively connected thereto, as will be explained hereinafter.

Mounted on the under side of the nose bad 8 there is provided a bifurcated hinge plate 16 adapted to hold a hinge pintle 17 to pivotally mount a hinge strap 18 between the bifurcations of plate 16 so as to be pivotal relative to the nose band 8. The hinge strap 18 has secured thereto the chin engaging curb 19 mounted on a member 20 which in turn is connected to the hinge strap 18 by a screw 21 extending through one or another of the apertures 22 provided along the length of the member 20. The provision of a plurality of apertures 22 along the length of member 20 permits the screw 21 to be inserted through any one of the apertures to enable In the particular form illustrated cheek straps 2 ready adjustment of the position of the curb 19 relative to the nose band 8. At the same time, the pivotal connection of the curb 19, by means of rne'mbers'20 and hinge strap 18, to the nose band 8,insures that the curb 19 will at all times be properly positioned relative to the position of the nose band 8. This proper positioning of the curb relative to the nose band is of particular importance in insuring that in operation of the bridle as mounted on the horses head the pressure of the curb will be accurately and properly applied at the most effective point on the underside of the horses mouth in combination with proper tightening of the nose band.

To insure that the member and the hinge strap 18 are properly aligned in pivotally mounting the curb 19 on the nose band 8, the end of the hinge strap 18 is pro-' vided with lugs 23 at the sides thereof which slidably engage with the edges of the member 20 and similarly the end of the member 20 is provided with lugs 24 at the sides thereof which in turn slidably engage the edges of the hinge strap 18. The provision of these two sets of lugs serves to guide the sliding movement of member 20 relative to the hinge strap 18 to insure that the two parts will be aligned while the screw 21 serves to retain the two members properly located relative to each other.

The curb 19 is connected to the respective short arms 13 on rein levers 10 by means of hooks engaging apertures 14 at the outer end of each of the short arms 13 and a length of link chain 26 extending'between the hooks 25 and the opposite ends of the curb 19. As shown more clearly in Figure 2, the ends of the chains 26 are suitably secured to the opposite sides of the curb 19, as by welding thereto, and the distance from the aperture 14 in the rein lever 10 varied as may be desired by. appropriately connecting the proper links in the chains 26 to the respective hooks 25.

The possibilities for ready adjustment of the bridle structure as described hereinabove will be apparent. Thus the adjustment of the curb 19 relative to the band 8, which as has been described is positioned onrthe horses head by proper variation in the length of cheek bands 2, can be obtained by adjusting the member 20 relative to the hinge strap 18 and then utilizing the screw 21 extending through the appropriate aperture 22 and threaded into the hinge strap 18 to retain the parts in proper relation. Likewise adjustment of the rein action upon movement of the levers 10 can be obtained through shortening or lengthening the chains 26 which couple the opposite sides of the curb 19 to the short arms 13 of levers 10.

In order that the rein levers 10 may move substantially in unison in controlling the horse, a length of chain 27 is interconnected between the ends of the long arms 11 so that within limits the two levers 10 will move together under the controlling action of the reins. It will of course be recognized that the chain 27 is of a sufficient length to permit limited independent action between the two rein levers 10 as is necessary to permit proper control of the horse by the rider pulling on the appropriate rein 15. However, the provision of this chain 27 between the outer ends of the long arms '11 prevents the bridle structure from being unduly distorted or twisted by reason of an extreme pull on one rein while the other rein remains slack. Thus if' only'one rein is drawn upthe rein lever 10 connected thereto will move to draw the curb 19 upwardly into firm engagement with the horses chin at the proper location and upon the chain 27 becoming taut the opposite rein lever 10 will also be moved to assist in drawing up the curb 19 to apply the curbing forces. Still the lost motion connection provided by chain 27 permits the pull on one rein to convey to the horse the proper side pull to urge turning as desired by the rider.

By reason of the pivotal connection which positively locates the curb 19 in relation to the nose band 8, it will be noted that the point of application of the curbing pressure may not only be properly adjusted accord ing to the dimensions of the particular horses head, but also this curbing pressure willbe uniformly applied at the same point regardless of arbitrary actions of the horse, such as pitching or tossing of his head, which in prior hackamore bridle constructions resulted in the curb becoming displaced so as to prevent proper application of the curbing force.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A hackamore bridle comprising a headstall having adjustable length cheek straps, a nose encircling band connectedat its opposite sides to the ends of said cheek straps, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on each side of said nose band, each of said bell crank levers having a long'rein lever arm and a short curb actuating lever arm, saidlong rein lever arm being connected with one of the reins, a hinge member pivotally connected to the underside of said nose band and extending outwardly from the nose band generally normal tothe plane of the nose encircling band to be swingable in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the nose encirclingband, an elongated arcuate curb member rigidly connected to said hinge member generally parallel to the plane of the nose encircling band with the concave arcuate surface thereof facing upwardly to be movable into engagement with the chin of the horse on which the bridle is positioned, and means interconnecting the opposite ends of said curb member with the respective short lever arms of said bell crank levers whereby tension applied to the reins will efiect guided pivotal movement of said curb member into engagement with the chin of the horse through movement of said bell crank levers to produce the desired restraining control of the horse.

2. A hackamore. bridle as recited in claim 1 wherein the length of the rigid connection between said curb member and said hinge member is adjustable to enable selective positioning of said curb member relative to said nose band for application of a curbing force at the proper point beneath the chin of the horse.

. 7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 826,810 I Udhaug July 24, 1906 r 2,342,449 Burgess Feb. 22, 1944 2,572,5l7 Ratliff Oct. 23, 1951 2,625,780 Flatt Jan. 20, 1953 2,669,816 Pletsch Feb. 23, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 24,685 Austria June 25, 1996 371,180 a Great Britain Apr. 21, 1931 506,460 Great Britain May 30, 1939 

